Korean J Epidemiol.  2002 Jun;24(1):63-75.

The Epidemiologic Characteristics of Measles for Two Years in a Metropolitan City: Based on the reported measles cases since 2000

• Ki HK
• Jung YH
• Chung JK
• Ryu SY
• Kim KS

Abstract

PURPOSE: There has been an epidemic of measles in Korea since 2000. Therefore, we analyze the epidemiologic haracteristics of measles in Gwangju Metropolitan City.
METHODS
We reviewed the epidemiologic investigation records and laboratory data of the measles patients reported in Gwangju Metropolitan City from January 1st 2000.
RESULTS
1) Demographic characteristics: Totally, 3,392 cases were surveyed and 3,300 cases were enrolled (3,300/3,392, 97.3%). Fifty-four percents of the patients were male (1,771/3,300) and forty-six percents of the patients were female (1,529/3,300). Average age of the patients was 8.20 years (8.20 5.56 years). Forty-seven percents of the patients were reported in the interval from November 2000 to December 2000 (1,582/3,298, 47.9%). 2) Clinical manifestations of the patients: Common symptoms of measles patients were fever (3,300/3,300, 100.0%), skin rash (3,068/3,300, 93.0%), cough (2,889/3,300, 87.5%), rhinorrhea (1,883/3,300, 57.1%), headache (1,445/3,300, 43.8%), conjunctival injection (1,182/3,300, 35.8%), and oral thrush (832/3,300, 25.2%). Among the patients, 250 patients had complications (250/3,300, 7.6%) and most of them were respiratory complications (220/250, 88.0%). 3) Vaccination: Eighty-six percent of the enrolled patients answered the question about vaccination (2,854/3,300, 86.4%); 808 patients were not taken a shot (808/2854, 28.3%), 1,762 patients received one dose (1,762/2,854, 61.7%), and 284 patients received additional dose (284/2,854, 9.9%). 4) Laboratory data: Laboratory confirmed cases were 780 patients (780/3,300, 23.6%); 603 cases were confirmed serologically, 185 cases were positive in PCR, and virus was isolated in 6 cases. Genetic sequencing of the isolated viruses was clade H1 and closely related to that of China.
CONCLUSION
Therefore, adequate surveillance and maintenance of high coverage rate of the vaccination would be the crucial factors to eradicate measles

Keyword

measles; vaccination; epidemic; complication; genetic sequencing

MeSH Terms

Candidiasis, Oral
China
Cough
Exanthema
Female
Fever
Gwangju
Headache
Humans
Korea
Male
Measles*
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Vaccination